Abstract
This film study analyzes the existentialism that arises within the social and individual conflicts that are found within the films "High and Low" and "Ikiru," directed by Akira Kurosawa. It analyzes the characters and their relation to the plot of these two films and thereby leads us to understand the dilemma of identity (society versus the individual) that surfaces in these existential films of the 50s and 60s.

From the Paper
"This type of filmmaking is reenacting the sense of loss that the Japanese suffered after World War II, which embody a sense of rebirth for Watanabe. Kurosawa sought to bring these social issues to the forefront of filmmaking, since it offered a new way to expose the social and individual problems that the Japanese faced in their culture. By understanding Watanabe's individuality, the premise of existential freedom becomes the premise of Kurosawa's desire to liberate the self from societal norms. This is how existential philosophy plays a key role in Kurosawa's films, as he explores how it is not society that dictates social norms; it is the individual actions of insightful and brave individuals that redefine Japanese culture."

Tags:character, plot, society, WWII, Japanese

Abstract
This film review reveals the many different strategies used in "Rashomon" which contribute to the creation of a pulp style film. The author illustrates how every detail-- from the rain to the over exaggerated, unrealistic acting styles, to the depth shots, to the use of off-screen space--contributes to forming a paranoia and distrust of integrity and decency of the people in the Kurosawa's film.

From the Paper
"In Rashomon, a story is being told within a story. The plot of the film, (the first story), is of a woodcutter retelling a story to a commoner from different points of view (the second story). The rain functions as a tool to distinguish between the two stories, meaning the present and the past. Rashomon begins with a heavy, ferocious downpour, causing three men to seek shelter under the same roof of a dilapidated building (possibly a temple or gate to the city at one point). The decay of this edifice symbolizes the condition of the city of Rashomon and the nature of trust and virtue in mankind. Thus the rain sets the present apart from the past, allowing the viewer to be able to immediately identify one point in time from the other.
"This use of weather as a means of marking time between flashbacks and the present also emerges in Frailty, directed by Bill Paxton, when Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe are driving late at night. In this horror tale, Matthew McConaughey flashes back to his childhood, living in a small country town, when his father begins a series of murders of innocent people. During McConaughey's confession to the police, (the present), it is raining outside, which is made noticeable especially as they are driving in the car (you can see and hear it through the windows). Here, as in Rashomon, it functions as a means for separating past events from the present."

Tags:hitchcock, editing techniques, off-screen space

Abstract
An examination of Western impact on Japanese film making. The author focuses specifically on Akira Kurosawa?s film "Seven Samurai". The author describes the film makers use of native cinematic styles and techniques and how these go about breaking away from Japanese traditional style and adding more flavor and richer meaning to the film.

From the Paper
"Referring to his film Seven Samurai director Akira Kurosawa once remarked, "Japanese films tend to be rather bland in flavor, like green tea over rice. I think we ought to have richer foods and richer films. So I thought I would make this kind of film entertaining enough to eat" (Criterion Collection, 2). This statement was a thinly veiled criticism of Kurosawa's contemporary and rival, Yasujiro Ozu (who actually made a film entitled The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice). Ozu adhered dutifully to the traditional Japanese cinematic style, an art heavily influenced by native culture and customs. His films (including the 1953 masterpiece, Tokyo Story) can be characterized by long takes with little or no lateral camera movement (both of which demonstrate the influence of the traditional Japanese "Kabuki Play"). Ozu also uses many extreme low angle shots that often hug the bottom surface of any set. By showing the audience this point of view Ozu reflects the Japanese custom of remaining seated on the floor of a room. While this style is certainly effective and distinct, it is as Kurosawa describes, "rather bland in flavor." In an era when post-war occupation was rapidly opening Japan to western industry and influence, Kurosawa made a bold decision to break from tradition and borrow some key points from Hollywood including slow motion, multiple cameras and camera angles and continuity editing. By embracing these conventions of Western cinema and combining these techniques with the traditions of his native industry, Kurosawa was able to create a unique and powerful portrait of Japan in the waning days of the samurai. Furthermore, the director employs this hybrid style effectively in order to develop his characters, build tension in the audience and drive the plot of his film forward. "

Tags:cinema, directors, film, japanese, kurosawa, camera, movement, angle, cinematography

From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood is a version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and the film follows the play in general terms until the end. An examination of the opening scenes and the last scene shows how the filmmaker has approached the material and what changes he has made to achieve a somewhat different effect from the original play while remaining true to its spirit.


The opening scenes in Macbeth set the stage with a sense of doom and foreboding as well as an overlay of the supernatural. In the first scene, the three witches appear amid thunder and lightning and cast a spell over the proceedings. In the second scene, the exposition is managed as messengers deliver the battle news to King Duncan. It is in the third scene where the character of Macbeth is introduced and where the three witches..."

From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa is widely considered not only one of the greatest Japanese directors, but one of the best in the world. In addition to his masterpieces, such as Seven Samurai, he has consistently shown his creative talents in his nearly 30 films. However, some of his films are clearly worse than others, and he has had some failures. As with all director's work, there are obvious reasons for this. He improved his filmmaking talents as he gained more experience, and of course sometimes he chose better material or more filmic subjects. Moreover, with Kurosawa, another factor at work here, his humanist political beliefs, damaged his ability to make quality films at times. Kurosawa has been described by some writers as being apolitical, and he seems comfortable with that definition. He certainly has distanced himself from the Marxist camp, in ..."

Abstract
This paper deals with Akira Kurosawa's film "Dreams," describing it as a sample of sights and sounds of Japanese culture. The paper describes each of the vignettes in the film: "Sunshine Through the Rain," "The Peach Orchard," "The Blizzard" and "Village of the Watermills." The author describes the incredible cinematography as well as the message of each of the vignettes in "Dreams."

From the Paper
"There is no greater film experience than director/writer Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990). Kurosawa brings to life his Dreams in a series of film vignettes that are extraordinary in cinematography and content. Beginning with the opening vignette, Sunshine Through the Rain, the audience experiences the colorful and clarity of the highest quality of cinematography; the audience is hooked, even though you're not the least bit fluent in the Japanese culture or language. This particular vignette focuses on a young boy who, on a rainy day, wanders into the woods after a caution from his mother has piqued his curiosity. Foxes, she cautions, have their wedding ceremonies on days when the fain falls while the sun still shines; and they don't like to be spied upon. In fact, they don't forgive being spied upon. Obviously, to a six year old boy, this is incentive enough to quickly sneak off and into the woods to discover what his mother has cautioned him against as an unforgivable transgression."

Tags:akira, dreams, films, holocaust, japanese, kurosawa, nuclear

Abstract
This paper explains that Akira Kurosawa's film "Rhapsody in August" is set 40 years after Nagasaki was bombed and the main character is Kane, a grandmother who lost her husband in the bombing. The author points out that the film shows how the people of more recent generations, the grandchildren, tend to forget the real effects of the bombing because it has no personal significance to them. The paper stresses that Akira Kurosawa's message is that the human toll of war can last for a lifetime without ever being resolved.

From the Paper
"Another related issue raised in the film is the complicated relations that continue between the nations involved in war. The film shows that in theory, the war has ended and there are positive relations between America and Japan. However, there are some ongoing issues affecting people that are not as easy to manage. This is seen by the grandmother who has to struggle between accepting America and its positive relations with Japan and hating America for the actions it took that killed her husband. This is seen by the Hawaiian cousins who become upset when the grandchildren mention Nagasaki."

Tags:decades, grandchildren, relationships, lifetime, resolutions

Abstract
This paper examines how, throughout the span of his life, Akira Kurosawa endeavored to provide his audiences with a message of morality based strongly in the Shinto and Buddhist traditions. In particular, it looks at how "Ran", which is widely acknowledged as his greatest work, has Kurosawa exploring the theme of loyalty, especially as it is epitomized with in the tenets of Bushido, the warrior's code.

From the Paper
"These remarkable examples of loyalty however, must be tempered by the traitors who get caught up in their own intrigue. Leading them all is Lady Kaede, the wife of Taro. Her hand can be found firmly clasped to every other traitorous action we see. Her first act is to elevate her own position by forcing Hidetora's connubial procession to step aside so that she could make her way into the castle. Though she puts on demure and unassuming airs, we quickly learn that her black-heartedness is contagious. By asking a seemingly innocuous question of Taro, she sets into motion events that will begin Hidetora's decent into his personal hell."

Tags:lady, kaede, taro, kyoami

Abstract
This paper examines the guilty party in Akira Kurosawa's film, "Rashomon". The author looks at the narratives of guilt and responsibility in this film.

Abstract
Compares Akira Kurosawa's original film and the American remake by John Sturges. Discusses style, structure, world view, cultural aspects, myths and plots

From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is an example of the circularity of film genres in the world cinema. Kurosawa was influenced in his samurai films by the motifs and icons of the American Western film, which was very popular in Japan as elsewhere, and in turn his Seven Samurai would become an influence on later American Westerns, notably the remake of Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven. A comparison of the two films, though, shows very different aesthetic attitudes and also very different industry structures. The Kurosawa film is an ensemble piece in which the director shapes the movement of the film like an epic ballet, while the American version is structured more as a star vehicle with a number of individual star turns to appeal to different segments of the audience.

Noel Burch notes that Japanese cinema is fundamentally ..."